Tesla's New Model S 60 Has a 75kWh Battery That's Software Limited

While the entry-level Model 3 is still a few years away, Tesla now has a slightly low-cost version of its Model S sedan, the Model S 60. This isn't strictly a new car, though: It's the Model S 75 that's been in production since April, with its battery software limited to 60kWh. As you'd expect, it's available in base rear-wheel-drive form, and with dual-motor all-wheel-drive.

Tesla Motors announced the "new" model in a press release sent to reporters Thursday morning. The base price for the Model S 60 is $66,000 and all-wheel-drive is a $5000 option, but for $8500, Tesla will unlock the full 75kWh battery capacity. This upgrade is also available as an over-the-air software update that costs $9000 to enable after delivery.

Now, the Model S 70 has been replaced by the cheaper Model S 60, but the same principle applies. As we've said before, this an ingenious move on Tesla's part, because it simplifies their manufacturing into making just two battery packs, a 75kWh and a 90kWh, while creating a nice revenue stream by charging customers to unlock the 75's potential.

All in all, the Model S 75 and 75D now cost $250 more than they did previously, while the barrier of entry for a Model S is now $5000 lower. If you can live with 210 miles of range (or 218 for the 60D), this is a nice way to save a bit of money, but it's easy to see most owners opting for the Model S 75.

I mean, would you want to have all that battery capacity limited by just a few lines of code?

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